Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, 26 August 2026 — Mr. Muhammet Durikov, Director of the Scientific-Information Center of the Interstate Commission for Sustainable Development of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea (SIC ICSD IFAS) and National Focal Point for the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in Turkmenistan, participated as part of the national delegation of Turkmenistan in the High-Level Partners’ Roundtable of the Peace Forest Initiative (PFI), held as part of the Land and People thematic day of the seventeenth session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP17).
Roundtable of the Peace Forest Initiative. Photocredit to the Mongolian Information Agency.
The High-Level Partners’ Roundtable of the Peace Forest Initiative aimed to examine the strategic role of land restoration and cooperative ecosystem governance in strengthening resilience, preventing conflict and advancing environmental cooperation. Particular attention was given to regional and transboundary approaches to natural resource management, financing mechanisms for land restoration and climate resilience, as well as strengthening partnerships and practical cooperation. The event also featured key findings from the publication “Financing Sustainable Land Management in Fragile and Conflict-Affected Settings: From Financing Gaps to Financing Continuity”, which addresses financing for sustainable land management in fragile and conflict-affected settings.
The discussions highlighted the interlinkages between land degradation, climate change, biodiversity loss, food and water security, as well as social resilience and conflict prevention. Participants noted that, in fragile and highly climate-vulnerable settings, sustainable natural resource management and the restoration of degraded land can serve as important means of strengthening the resilience of local communities, building trust and fostering regional and transboundary cooperation.
Roundtable of the Peace Forest Initiative. Photocredit to the Mongolian Information Agency.
Participants underscored the importance of integrated and coordinated approaches to the management of transboundary landscapes, ecosystems and natural resources, particularly in regions affected by land degradation, droughts, floods and other climate- and weather-related extremes. Particular attention was also given to the role of local communities, pastoralists, women, youth and other stakeholders in promoting sustainable land management and ecosystem restoration.
Delegation of Turkmenistan at the Roundtable. Photocredit to the Mongolian Information Agency.
For SIC ICSD IFAS, participation in the event was particularly relevant in view of the Center’s mandate to provide scientific and information, scientific and methodological, and advisory support to regional cooperation in the field of sustainable development. The exchange of experiences within the framework of the Peace Forest Initiative provides additional opportunities to explore international approaches to the restoration of degraded land, strengthening environmental resilience and advancing transboundary cooperation, all of which are of direct relevance to the countries of Central Asia.
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The Peace Forest Initiative, a flagship initiative of the UNCCD, promotes partnerships, knowledge exchange and coordinated action on land restoration in transboundary, fragile and conflict-affected settings. The Initiative also advances approaches that recognize land restoration and sustainable natural resource management not only as environmental priorities, but also as important means of strengthening resilience, social cohesion, regional cooperation and conflict prevention.
The event supports the achievement of:
| Priority Area No 5 of REP4SD dedicated to SDG 15: “Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems” |
| 5.1.4 development of a regional ecosystem restoration scheme in the region, including establishment of green belts, forest planting, restoration of delta lakes; |
| Priority area No 6 of REP4SD dedicated to SDG 17: “Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development” |
| 6.1 Involvement of the region into implementation of global environmental conventions, programmes and initiatives. |